Pride of the Fight (BajanCanadianJeromeASFHusky Mudkipz Story)
by Cenobia100
Summary: Sequel to 'Pride of the Games.' It's been a month since the Games, and after a visit from President Snow, Mitch, Jerome and Quinten are wrapped up in the Capitol's plans, and one false move could spell their dooms, and with the threat of rebellion on the horizon, these three must do whatever it takes to keep the people in check, or else.
1. Prologue: The Victor of District Two

**Hokeyp, hello there. To those of you reading this, if you haven't already, go and check out the prequel for this book, 'Pride of the Games.' As it details the events that this book shall be mentioning, and everything will seem confusing if you don't read the first part. **

**And for those of you who have read the first book, and have come here for more action, romance, angst, fear, hope and other emotions that will evoke THE FEELS! You have come to the right place, and I hope you enjoy the story. **

**Now, a brief warning, this story contains blood, some gore, swearing, and scenes of a violent nature. You have been warned, and lastly, this is only the prologue, so expect it to be shorter than the actual story, okay.**

**Hokeyp, here we go then!**

* * *

**Prologue: The Victor of District Two**

* * *

My name is Mitchell Hughes, although most people call me Mitch. I never liked my name, Mitchell... It seemed to high, to posh for my liking, especially from where I came from. I was from District Two, the meanest of all of the Districts in Panem, and I considered myself lucky, for a time.

But then, something had changed my life, something that had given me nightmares, countless sleepless nights, and an anxiety that was all caused by one thing. The 67th Annual Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games were competitions held every year, where a boy and a girl would be taken from each of the twelve Districts of Panem, and then would be forced to fight each other in a battle to the death in an arena.

And on the 67th Annual Hunger Games, I was the male Tribute for District Two. That was almost a month and a few weeks ago, although it seemed years ago. I had high expectations, and I had the pride of my District on my shoulders. I had to win the Games.

But my enitre perspective of the Games was changed when i met two people that changed my life. Quinten Amphi, and Jerome Oaken, two boys that were also Tributes in the Games. We naturally became friends, and as time went on, I realized how monstrous we all were, killing each other for the amusement of the Capitol.

I was sickened, but I had to participate, or die. During our one week preparation in the Capitol, Jerome had confessed that he loved me, but I didn't return his feelings. I felt we were just friends, and nothing more.

But then, the Games began. I saw people being slaughtered, my original group whittling down as we continued on. I accidentally killed a boy, Mat Bridges, and was forced to flee along with Quinten, and my District Partner Amelia Jennings, who was cold and ruthless to us during the start of the Games.

But as I soon found out, she was just trying not to get attached, so that she would not hesitate to kill her target... But shortly after this discovery, Amelia was killed by mutt seagulls, and I lost a District Partner, and a friend.

I went on a mission with Quinten to find Jerome, and we ended up meeting up with him in a secret cave, high above the mountains of the arena. There, I met his District Partner Adrienne Leech, who was an innocent Twelve year old, who wanted nothing more than to see her sister again.

But sadly, just two days after meeting the group, Adrienne and Jerome were out hunting, when a person from my old group, Hannah Barke, stabbed Adrienne in the chest, before being killed by Jerome. Adrienne died in Jerome's arms, and after those days, I became that much closer to the furry Bacca that was Jerome Oaken.

I confessed that I liked him back shortly before the incident, but nothing was done about it. We were told of a 'Feast' at the Cornucopia, which had supplies we needed. Quinten was sick at this time, and was dying of his sickness, so I went to the Cornucopia, got our backpacks, and escaped, while two Tributes perished.

The next day was the day of the Victory. We encountered an insane Tribute, Jordan Maron, who stabbed himself to escape the torture of the games. We reached the centre of the arena, only for our biggest foe, Katelina Coralis, to throw a knife at Quinten, supposedly killing the Mudkip.

I killed Katelina in an ensuing battle, believing Quinten to be dead, and then, after a moment of frustration, I decided that we had to kill ourselves. We couldn't let them have a victor... But in that moment, me and Jerome kissed, and I knew that I loved him, and I admitted it.

We were about to kill ourselves so the Capitol would not have a Victor, but we were spared and both declared Victors. On our way back to the Capitol, it was revealed that Quinten had miraculously been brought back from the brink of death, after his cannon misfired, and he was healed by the water he died in.

The three of us became the Victors of the Hunger Games, and we were given our lives back, wealth beyond belief, and a new home in the Victor's Village of our District.

I settled in with my mother and my brother, but soon became plagued by the nightmares of the Games. I kept seeing the faces of dead Tributes, and I soon began to fear the sleep. I did not know how to get a good night's sleep, and with the Victory Tour coming up, I couldn't afford to not have my energy.

I needed sleep, and I needed health... I needed my friends from the arena, the ones still alive, both now dwelling in District Twelve after Quinten was banished from District One. I knew I would see them in just under five days, but I was being plagued so much, I was sure that if I didn't see them sooner, I would collapse from the pressure.

I'd been receiving gifts from the Capitol, in the form of a new diamond sword, and a phone to contact my friends, but I could not get the phone working. The Diamond Sword was rather interesting though, and I nicknamed it 'Benja' because I liked the sound of the name.

But as the days got closer, and my frustration grew, so did my fear, for only a mere two days before I was supposed to set out on the Victory Tour, did Snow visit, and since then, I had been dreading everything.

* * *

"_You are not doing as I thought you would," Snow whispered into my ear as I looked at him in our Study. "Why have you not spoken to your lover yet?"_

_"I couldn't get the phone working," I admitted, looking at the President with slight fear. "I told everybody, I love him! He's my Bacca!" I proclaimed._

_"You say he is, and yet, you have not visited him, phoned him, or bothered to keep in contact with him," Snow pointed out, staring at me with his evil eyes._

_"President, you do not understand just how much I need Jerome right now. I have nightmares, I have tried to set up the phone, and it's too late to head to Twelve now!" I cried out, looking around in anger. I wanted the man to stop._

_"But it isn't too late. The Tribute Parade starts at Twelve. On the day before the Parade starts, I have arranged for you to go to Twelve, with Jorneo, Nastashia and of course, Zefeera, and I want you to see Jerome's District, and see what it is to be put there with the lowest. You will see why I put Quinten there as punishment," Snow finished, standing up._

_"Quinten had no control over what he did!" I shouted in anger, looking at the President with fury._

_"Well, he needed to be taught some manners, and I did that," Snow laughed. "Oh, and Mitch, you better show them you love Jerome, or you, Jerome and Quinten may meet a... terrible fate..." And with that, Snow closed the door and left, leaving me alone, and afraid._

* * *

That was why I was terrified. If I didn't love Jerome like I did in the Arena, I will cause all of our deaths... I couldn't so that to Jerome! I loved him! I would never let my lover die! Never!

I will love you Jerome! I always have since that day at the end of the Games, and I always will!

* * *

**And there you go, the Prologue for Pride of the Fight! Enjoy the prologue because I'm not updating tomorrow. Also, this book is also going to be split into Three Parts. Like the last one. **

**We are in the 1st Part. 'Part 1: The Tour.' **

**Cenobia100**


	2. (Part 1: The Tour) Leaving Home

**Hokeyp, here is chapter one, since the last was technically a prologue, of the story, and it, although short, will be full of plot stuff, or at least Jerome and Quinten will pop up in a few chapters. **

**Also, before I forget, how do you like the book cover for the story. I photoshopped the cover just for you guys. I may do it with 'Pride of the Games' too and get a better cover like this one. What do you think?**

**Anyways, here we go!**

* * *

**(Part 1: The Tour) Leaving Home**

* * *

In those last days I spent in the District, the nightmares did not stop. They were worse, and became more frequent, meaning I was sometimes too weak to actually stop them. Sometimes I would collapse from the lack of sleep, only to awaken because of my hellish nightmares.

I need Jerome!

Ever since Snow had visited and threatened me and my friends, I was an emotional wreck. I was happy, then sad, then angry, then depressed. Last night, the night before I had to leave, I drunk a lot of alcohol, and got positively hammered.

* * *

When I woke up in the morning, I was a wreck. And then, while I was in this horrible state, to my horror, my old stylists from the Games came in.

"Oh my god! You are atrocious! If Nastashia saw you, she would flip!" One of my female stylists, Flavia, gasped. The pink haired woman then proceeded to throw my in the shower, and then try to wash me herself.

I, being the normal person I was, kicked her out of the bathroom, and washed myself. When I was done, one month of grime, sweat and guilt had washed away down the drain, and after using some of the Capitol brand shower gel, my male stylist, Oclaius, suggested, I smelled like I had just come from the Capitol.

Jalissa, my waxing specialist, waxxed all of the hair from my body once more, just as she did in the follow up to those horrible Games. She waxed everywhere, including down there, and while she was doing that, she said the most embarassing thing. "You've got to look good there for your lover when the time comes!"

I wanted to die from sheer embarassment, but that would have been terrible for me, although Snow would have loved it. 'Victor dies from being waxed down there!' I'm sure Jerome would be embarrassed too, if it were him...

Somehow, even with everything going on, my thoughts raced back to the furry Bacca I loved, and I kept thinking about him and how I would soon see him. That was my driving force to continue with the make-over, because half way through, after having my body scrubbed with a very hard sponge, I almost gave up.

And then my furry companion, and my fishy, no wait, amphibious friend, popped into my head... I couldn't let them down. So I continued the make-over, until a familiar face appeared.

"Nastashia!" I greeted, looking at my head stylist with a large grin.

"Hey there Mitch, you look better than you did last night, drinking that heavily isn't very good for your skin," She said, looking at me with a slightly disapproving look.

"I know, I know, but I have my reasons. Snow visited me and kindly told me if I didn't love Jerome enough, he would kill us three Victors," I moaned, looking at Nastashia for a reaction.

"Can't say I didn't expect that. But I'm just a stylist, it isn't my job to question the President. So back to your styles, I want you to wear your dogtag, and your checkered hoodie, the black and red one," She stated, walking away.

"Really, that's it?" I gasped. It seemed too easy.

"Yep, that's all. If I need to make adjustments, I'll be with you on the train, along with Flavia, Oclaius and Jalissa. And of course, Jorneo and Zefeera. Darban's taking the tour off..."

I didn't question further, and just left to spruce myself up slightly. I walked out of my house in the Victor's Village, looking towards the fairly populated area. Since most Tributes from Two won, the village here was rather populated.

"Hey Mitch," I heard a voice call, and I turned to see my brother standing there, a sad look in his eyes.

"What is it Ben?" I asked, pulling him close to me, stroking his hair to calm whatever was worrying him.

"I'm afraid... Will I see you again soon?" He asked, looking at me with an expectant face, and I knew I had to answer.

"Of course, just not right away," I replied with a grin. "I'll come back, and everything will be fine. I may even bring Jerome and Quinten for a visit."

I saw my brother grin at this. "Quinten seems cool, interesting, but I know exactly why you want Jerome," He blushed, giving me that look little brothers do when they know something mature that they shouldn't.

"My God, I'm not inviting him for that!" I gasped, giving my brother a playful bash to the back. "Anyways, I'll see you in a few weeks," I said, waving goodbye to him, before setting of for Zefeera's house.

My brother waved at me and ran inside, my mother giving me a smile from the window. I smiled back, gave a faint wave, and then continued my stroll to my ex-mentor's house. I knew which one it was, by the lovely red eyed skull she had on her gate.

I walked up to the door and knocked, the door opening right away, and there in the doorway, a fully clothed, red eyes, Zefeera stood. "We've gotta go," I motioned, pointing towards the direction of the Train Station.

"Yeah, yeah," Zefeera mumbled, pushing out of the door and past me. I knew she was in a bad mood, but I wanted to know.

"Hey, why's Darban not coming?" I asked, looking at her curiously as we walked.

She sighed and kept walking, not looking at me when she replied. "He's got important business to attend to," She replied, as we walked out of the Victor's Village. I left it at there, and we continued out stroll to the Train Station.

When we got there, I was greeted with familiar faces. The green suit, and bright orange hair of Jorneo stood out the most, while my Stylist team stood there, waiting for me, eyeing me down, except for Nastashia. And surprisingly, Jerome's escprt, Effie Trinket was there.

"Why are you here Effie? What about Jerome?" I asked, looking at her confused.

"Well, you see, we are heading to Twelve... But not alone. I brought some people who wanted to see you," She laughed, motioning for me to go inside the train. We stepped in and everybody went into the left compartment. Effie stopped me. "Go to the one on the right, there are people waiting for you in there..." And then she left.

I moved to the right door and opened it, only to be greeted by two people I didn't expect to see on the Train.

"Hey Biggums!"

"Hey there Mitch!"

I stared into the faces of the two people I wanted to see most of all in the world. My best friend, Quinten Amphi, and my boyfriend, Jerome Oaken.

* * *

**I said it was a short chapter, but hey, I was very tired, and there wasn't much content to work with. Next chapter contains Merome, and Quinten talk.**

**See ya doods!**

**Cenobia100**


	3. (Part 1: The Tour) Discussions

**Hokeyp, so now Jerome, Quinten and Mitch are together again! YAY! And now I can bring some lovey dovey stuff to the table, and I can reveal this series will be a trilogy. Last night, while walking my dog, I was thinking of a way to make this book last longer, and I found a devious, evil and completely horrible way of doing it, which will most likely mess up all of my characters heads, and THE FEELS will be destroyed like they were last book.**

**But we have the Victory Tour to deal with first, and we will be introducing important characters throughout the Tour, that will have an impact later on. LET'S GO!**

* * *

**(Part 1: The Tour) Discussions**

* * *

I embraced Jerome and Quinten, smiling madly as we all looked at each other. I couldn't help but feel glad about them being here. The train journey was a day long, and I would never have lasted without them...

"It's been too long biggums," Jerome laughed, leading me over to a small table, similar to the table I had sat at the month before, when me and Amelia were heading to the Games.

"How've you been Mitch? I heard you had a run in with Snow," Husky stated, giving me his famous curious look, a glint in his eyes.

"Yeah, Snow came to my house two days ago. It wasn't for a friendly visit either... But I'd rather talk about it later..." I mumbled, giving Jerome a pleading look. "So how've you guys been in Twelve?"

"Well, Quinten's been attracting the attention of the females," Jerome laughed, patting Quinten on the back, who was slightly blushing, brushing the crimson colour off of his blue skin.

"I'm not interested in them Jerome! They are interested in me, not the other way around!" Quinten looked at the ground, cheeks now a burning red as Jerome made kiss noises.

"My god Quinten, those girls must really like a Mudkip," I winked, giving Quinten a silly look. "So come on, who do you like?"

"None of the girls!" Quinten huffed. "You butts!"

"Well then," Jerome remarked, a mishevious glint playing across his eyes. "Do you like the guys?"

Quinten looked at Jerome with annoyance, lifting his flipper, and smashing Jerome on the back of the head, the Bacca smiling with a silly grin. "Aww, denial means it's true!"

"Shaddup!" Quinten whined, giving me a begging face, as if subconsciously telling me to make him stop. I just smiled innocently and let Jerome continue. "Mitch, make him stop!" He finally begged, looking at me with the same face.

"Fine, Jerome, leave the sexually confused fish alone," I said with a slightly mocking tone, earning me a water gun to the face.

"I'm an amphibian! And I'm not sexually confused!" Quinten raged, Jerome and I falling to the ground with laughter. "It's true... I'm an amphibian."

"Hokeyp, Quinten," I chuckled, gasping for air as I tried to sit back down, not noticing the Bacca behind me. I felt his arms around me, and he pulled me towards him, our lips locking as I was drawn into a kiss I had been waiting for since I had arrived back home.

Jerome was putting on quite the show for Quinten, taunting him once more, pulling away from me afterwards. "I missed you so much," I whimpered, hugging myself against Jerome.

"I know, I missed you too. It takes two to kiss, right Quinten," Jerome smirked. "You know you want me."

Quinten replied by smacking Jerome in the face once more. The Mudkip then walked over to the window, as District Two was left in the dust. I gave a small chuckle, settling into Jerome's arms, before the inevitable question was asked again.

"So why'd Snow come around to see you?" Jerome whispered, Quinten turning at the sound of Snow's name. "Was it really that bad?"

I sighed, trembling slightly, but I felt more relaxed in Jerome's arms. "Snow told me that I should have kept in more contact with you... And that if I fail to show that I love you to the public, he basically hinted at having us killed..."

Jerome looked at me wide eyed, while Quinten just sighed and sat down beside us on the floor. "Sounds like Snow didn't like us winning the Games so well..." Quinten mumbled, putting his head on Jerome's shoulder.

I gave him a weird look at this but Jerome quickly answered. "Quinten does this when he's feeling confused or scared. It became a habit, I don't mind though..." The Bacca put his arm around Mitch, pulling them closer.

"So what do we do? Just kiss in front of everyone?" I asked, looking at my Bacca friend. "Do we just say the word love over and over again until the Capitol get it?"

"I wish I knew Mitch, I wish I knew," Jerome mumbled, the three of us just sitting there, remembering the Capitol and their Games once more...

* * *

It was around an hour later when Zefeera walked in and saw us on the floor. She just smirked and motioned for us three to follow her. Little did we know, we were about to take a crash course in the do's and don'ts of the Victory Tour.

"RULE 1: Absolutely no rudeness about the Capitol in your words. This can cause hell for not only you, but your team, and your family!" Zefeera shouted out, as we all sat down, everybody looking at the three of us.

"Rule 2: You must make a statement, a big statement about how much you feel sorry for those Districts that had people lose lives, even those that had bitchy Tributes," Nastashia laughed, Effie glaring at her for using coarse language.

"Rule 3: Always appeal to the District. Some want to hear one thing, others want to hear another, and you give them what they want," Jorneo grinned, pushing his hair back in a flamboyant manner.

We turned to Zefeera once more. "And lastly, because you three all won the Games, there has been talk of rebellion against the Peacekeepers. The Capitol wants you to stop that. By no means, should you try and start a rebellion. Watch your words, and we will be okay." She then waved us off, and we were kicked out of the 'adult' room once more.

"So the Districts are thinking of rebelling?" I asked, looking at the two surprised.

"Yep, I heard rumors in One before I left that some of the poorer Districts were thinking about it, and I bet you can't guess why..." Quinten mumbled.

"I wonder why?" I sarcastically remarked, rolling my eyes at the thought.

"Amelia's death was a start," Jerome said. "And then my rage over Adrienne... And then Quinten's supposed death, and I think our attempted suicide broke the lower Districts. I'm sure Jordan's death may have done something. His wasn't attempted suicide..."

I shuddered, thinking back to the deaths of the Tributes I could remember. Jason's apology... Mat's shock... Amelia's fear... Adam's insanity... Jordan's suicide... My slaughter of Katelina... Adrienne's final moments... And our attempt at killing ourselves...

"I'll never forget," I shuddered. "I wish I could forget, but I cannot..."

"None of us will forget... Adrienne had no family except her sister, and some of them had nobody to remember them by... So we have to remember them, to keep their spirits alive," Jerome said in a motivational tone.

"So many Tributes have died, with no family, no friends, no nothing... And we are proof that something good can come out of this. Three Victors. Something unheard of," Quinten tried to grin.

"Yeah, you guys are right," I realized, giving them a smile. "Anyways, we are alive. We have to keep living, for them! And for all of the fallen Tributes!"

"YEAH!" They shouted, and I joined in too.

I was feeling much happier that day.

* * *

**Hokeyp, chapter's end. Next chapter, we have the DIstrict Twelve visit, and we meet our first new character of this book, somebody briefly mentioned twice in the last book. I even put her name in once... **

**Can you guess who it is?**

**See ya doods!**


	4. (Part 1: The Tour) The Poorest District

**Hokeyp, so as a few of you guessed, the character that will appear in this chapter, is in fact, Adrienne's sister Bethany, and if you knew her name, I applaud you as a true fan! And obviously, where Bethany is involved, Adrienne's memory will be too, and we all know how Jerome felt about her death.**

**So, here we go!**

* * *

**(Part 1: The Tour) The Poorest District**

* * *

I didn't have any nightmares that night. While we slept, I was sleeping in Jerome's furry arms, in Jerome's bed, as we softly listened to each other's breathing. Nothing romantic happened, at least not in the lustful sense, but we did kiss once or twice... or maybe five times... I had pleasant dreams, of friends, and family, and I dreamed that the Games had never had to happen. That we were in a normal world.

And then I was hit by reality, and my mind was trying to break the dream. Everything seemed to shatter underneath my feet, and I fell into an endless void, until it rebuilt itself. My dream kept doing this throughout the night, and all the time, Jerome was by me, falling with me, holding me close in the darkness.

I knew I would never last without him anymore. It was now official... I loved him, and he loved me, and we both kept each other's fears at bay. I loved him so much, but a small doubt in my head, the doubt of Snow, it whispered into my head that it was not real love. That I wasn't trying enough! I needed to prove this doubt wrong, and soon.

* * *

My eyes opened up to the morning sun and I tried to shy away from the light, feeling the movement of the train, as the light shifted away from my gaze. I looked up slightly to see Jerome with his arms wrapped around me. I was without my hoody and my shirt, although luckily I had my trousers on.

It was the same with my Bacca friend. I felt comfortable in his arms at that moment, just lying there, without a care in the world, nobody telling me to move, or get up, or to shout at me. I breathed a deep sigh of relief, and relaxed into Jerome's arms, letting his fur rub at my bare skin. It felt pleasent.

I listened to the heartbeat of Jerome, as his chest rose up and down, and the thump of his heart kept me in a completely tranquil state. I looked to my left to see Quinten asleep on a bed on the opposite side of the room.

The Mudkip was sleeping peacefully, calmly breathing, a small smile plastered on his face. He must have been having a nice dream. He was curled up in a ball, and it looked rather cute, I had to admit, but I still only had eyes for my Bacca.

He heard Jerome's eyes flutter open, and I turned my head to face his. "Morning," I whispered, nuzzling into his chest lovingly.

"Good morning, my lovely Mitch," He chuckled, pulling me closer. We sat there, basking in each others hugs, taking in the moment for what it was worth. In the land of Panem, a moment like this was rare indeed, and I was glad for this short moment.

"So, how was your night?" I asked, looking into his chocolate brown eyes, giving him a warm smile.

"Well, I had a dream that me and you were in love... and things happened..." Jerome admitted, blushing slightly. I blushed too. I knew exactly what he was thinking of.

"Maybe one day Jerome," I whispered, his eyes lighting up. "One day soon."

Jerome and I sat there, in each other's arms for another few minutes until the stirring of our friend distracted us from our love. The Mudkip lazily opened his eyes, gazing over at the two of us, giving a slight wave to start off the morning. "So did you both do it last night?"

"What the hell?!" I replied, throwing a well aimed pillow at the Mudkip's face, hitting Quinten right on the head. "Personal stuff, Quinten! And no, not yet!"

Jerome was blushing madly as Quinten said this, and I knew full well why he was. Jerome and I were in love, and maybe that was what I had to do to prove I loved him, not only to Snow, but to Jerome and myself...

"What about you Quinten," Jerome replied. "Thinking about any girls last night... or guys," He added with a small smirk.

"Shaddup! You do not need to know that!" The Mudkip replied, delving back into his covers, a blush covering his face.

Me and Jerome had a small laugh, until we heard the announcement on the train, and I immediately got ready to get up. "Everybody report to the main carriage for the arrival at District Twelve."

Jerome was out of the bed first, pulling on a dark black shirt, and some simple trousers over his fur. They seemed tailoured to fit him perfectly. I put on my usual hooded jacket with the black and red checkered pattern. Quinten put on a light blue shirt, and trousers. We all walked out of the room, and headed off to the carriage specified.

When we got there, Zefeera was already waiting for us, along with Nastashia. They seemed to be having a conversation about the latest fashion problems in the Capitol, and surprisingly, Zefeera seemed to enjoy the talk.

They stopped when they saw us, and I was about to ask where Effie and Jorneo were, when Zefeera quickly said, "They're Capitol residents. They take forever to put on the make-up."

I glanced at Nastashia, since she was also a Capitol citizen. "I'm a head stylist, give me two minutes and I'm ready," She laughed, motioning for the three of us to sit down.

We all sat down next to each other, and Zefeera looked us over. "Alright, when we get there, you have an hour to go around and sort yourselves out. Talk to people, whatever, but be at the Town Square at the end of that hour for the speech. Jerome, you will be taking the lead in this speech, since it is your District. You two, make him look good, and back up what he says. Afterwards, you have a dinner at the Mayor's house, and then it's off on the road again."

We all nodded as Effie and Jorneo glided in. Jorneo had blue hair, and wore a pink tuxedo, that really just looked wrong on him. He looked like a child molester, and I wasn't joking. If I was ten, I would be running from his. Effie had her pink dress on, and puffy white hair, along with a rather pale face.

"Here we are, District Twelve!" Effie clapped, motioning for myself to look out of the window.

I looked out, and gasped. I thought my District was bad... The entire place was barren and unclean. Houses were derelict and abandoned, while the people were not much better. They all looked sick, or weak, or just like a pile of bones. They were all underfed, and now I had a much better picture of Jerome's life...

"I had no idea how bad it was here," I mumbled, turning to Jerome who was silently staring out of the window.

* * *

When the train stopped, we were swarmed by Capitol press, but Zefeera scared them away with a few well aimed knives at the cameras. I almost laughed at that, before Zefeera sent us on our way. She reminded us about the hour time limit, and we set off into the District.

Jerome headed off towards a hill, leading up to, what I assumed to be, the Victor's Village. Quinten followed up behind him, looking around at the people that gazed at the three of us from the windows, the streets, and the floors.

I moved closer to Jerome, not particularly liking the atmoshpere around the District. I was afraid of what these people could do to me, knowing I was in District Two and all. When we reached the Victor's Village, it was almost deserted, and I soon realised why.

Jerome was one of a handful of people to have ever won the the Hunger Games for Twelve, and that meant that, unlike the busy Victor's Village in Two, this place would be a ghost town. I was led by Jerome to a large house on the right, and I recognised it as his own. I thought the Bacca head carved into the gate was obvious enough.

"I want you to meet somebody Mitch," Jerome said, leading me into the house. It was a direct clone of my own house, except it seemed slightly darker, although only slightly. "Bethany? Bethany? You there?"

"I'm here Jerome, glad you could visit before you leave again," The sound of a girl laughed. We walked into the living room, and there stood a very familiar looking girl. She had long brown hair, a big grin on her face, and hazel eyes. I immediately thought of Adrienne.

"Mitch, this is Bethany. She was Adrienne's sister, and Bethany, I believe you know Mitch," Jerome grinned, introducing us.

"Hi there, pleased to meet you. Jerome's told me everything about you. It's Mitch this, and Mitch that, and some more Mitch thrown in for good measure," She laughed, looking at the ever increasing blush growing on Jerome's face.

"Well, he can go a bit overboard at times," I laughed, Jerome now a crimson color. "Um, I'd like to say how sorry I am about Adrienne... She was a kind girl for as long as I knew her..."

"It's okay," Bethany sighed, twisting her brown hair in her finger. "I loved her... But I had to move on. I'll miss her though... A lot..."

The room was silent for a moment, and we all sat there on Jerome's sofa, quietly remembering the Games in our own way. Bethany, of course, only saw it on TV, but she must have remembered the pain of seeing her sister die.

"Anyways, nice to meet you..." Bethany said with a smile. "Come visit again, you seem nice," She laughed, waving us off as Jerome led us away from the home. I looked at Quinten, who had kept silent throughout the ordeal. He didn't seem to want to talk to Bethany, and she seemed to glare at him when she spoke.

"What's with you and Bethany?" I asked curiously, looking at the Mudkip.

"We don't get along. She called me weird, so I called her fat, and she won't apologise," Quinten stated, as if being weird was the biggest insult ever.

"Wow," I just mumbled, Jerome chuckling as we continued back towards the town.

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**And there you go, Bethany is introduced. She will play an important role after the main tour I can't wait for when that time comes. Anyways, see you guys later!**


	5. (Part 1: The Tour) Jerome's Guilt

**Hokeyp, don't murder me for the late as hell update. I had a lot of personal stuff going on. My sis was in hospital, my mother had a hangover, on her birthday, and I had my 5 and 2 year old nephews running around. You try and write in those conditions!**

**EDIT: And two months after those last sentences, I finally update. Please, don't kill me!**

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**(Part 1: The Tour) Jerome's Guilt**

We waited in the Town Hall for the speeches to begin. It would start with us going out, waving to the Districts like we loved them, which I guess we did. I mean, one of the VIctors came from Twelve, and I'm dating him so I have to like Twelve, and Quinten's been living here for the past month.

Then we would give a speech about how Twelve put up a brave fight, and how Adrienne's loss pained us to high heaven, and then we would have to comfort Bethany, until we were told to leave. Then a dinner before we left for Eleven.

"Alright you three, go out there and put the performance of your life on!" Jorneo grinned, despite not making any sense. I suspected he had drunk some wine before this. "And remember, good you need to be!"

I ignored him and the three of us Victors walked out onto the stage outside of the hall. All was completely silent as we walked up to the mic, where Effie wass introducing us.

"Okay, so now we hear the words from your Victors, starting with Jerome Oaken, from your own District!" She cheered, although nobody showed her enthusiasm.

"Hey everyone. I guess you know me already. As you know, I was representing us in the arena, and I came out alive..." Jerome paused for a moment before speaking. "But I wasn't the only Tribute from Twelve in that arena. Adrienne Leech, sister of Bethany Leech, one of my better friends, was also in the arena with me. I promised to look out for her, and keep her safe..."

Everybody looked at Jerome with sympathetic looks. Jerome was shaking. "That day... She wanted to go hunting, and I promised I would get her back to you guys. To Twelve alive... And I failed..." Jerome let a stray tear fall. "When Hannah Barke attacked, I admit it, I lost my thought for Adrienne to avoid that knife. And I regret it to this day! But she told me, she told me to win, and that it wasn't my fault!"

Jerome was crying slightly now, and I knew that I needed to take over. I walked up and moved Jerome over, before taking the mic. "Hi there, I didn't know Adrienne too well, but she was a kind, gentle soul, who wanted nothing more than to see her sister, and to have fun with life. But that life was taken from her, and for that, I am truly sorry. If I could have it any other way, I would have let her live. I remember, I was at the Cornucopia, before it started, and she was next to me... If only I had known what would happen... I would have killed Hannah off there and then..."

Jerome pushed back and took the mic once more. "Bethany, if you are there... If you are listening, I am truly sorry, we all are... And all I can wish is that you stay safe..."

"And that you people, as a District, remember this little girl that died for your children," Quinten added, looking at other teens in the crowd. "Just remember that."

And with that, it was over, and we were led away into the Town Hall of District Twelve. As we ledt, I thought I had caught a glimpse of the grieving girl near the back of the crowd, but by then, it was too late to say something. I was glad to know she had come.

I patted Jerome on the back, trying to comfort the, obviously, distraught Bacca, since he was obviously upset from the words. It all obviously reminded him of Adrienne, the girl he felt guilty for, the girl he failed to save...

"C'mon, let's just have the dinner, and then we can talk on the train. Eleven is around an hour away, so we have plenty of time," I whispered, rubbing Jerome's back with my hand, calming him like I would a baby.

Jerome only nodded shakily, and we went to have the dinner with Twelve. As it turns out, the feast wasn't much of a feast. We basically got the rations from the District bakery and butcher, nothing particularly special.

Afterwards, we were put on the train, and were sent off to the next District, District Eleven. I remembered the tributes, Taylor Venom, and Katie Andrews... I never really met either of them. I think Katie was killed near the start, but I couldn't be sure... Taylor died in that ambush, when Mat...

I couldn't think about that now though. I had to look presentable to District Eleven when we arrived. Suprisingly enough though, the visit went off rather smoothly. We toured through the District, waving to the different people, although they never waved back. They just watched us, sad expressions paining their facial features. I looked away grimly, clutching slightly onto Jerome for comfort. When the speeches came, we all gave a simple speech about the Tributes, and how we respect District Eleven for their work.

Before we left, I thought back to that District we had just visited. I had skimmed over it so quickly, that I didn't take in the sites of the beautiful orchards, orange and lemon trees in the distance, grape vines along the walls, the harvest in the fields. There were even small rays of sunlight glinting into the area. I smiled at that. At least there was some sunlight, even here.

The District of agriculture was left behind in the dust, and the three of us were told we could have a night's rest before going to District Ten. I would need it, since Adam's family would be there... Adam was that poor unfortunate soul, so innocent and carefree, turned into a ruthless killer. From those days he first arrived, to his last stand at the Cornucopia, I could see the metamorphosis that took place. It was almost gothic... Like Frankenstein, or something like that.

But anyways, once we were let off back into our little carriage of the train, I was the first to fall down onto the chairs, letting my weariness take control.

"LOOK OUT BIGGUMS!" I heard Jerome shout, feeling the Bacca land on top of me, crashing forwards until he was laying by my side. I smiled at him and buried my face into his shoulder. I couldn't help but let a few tears fall as Quinten sat down next to us. "Hey, Mitch, you okay?" I heard Jerome whisper.

I looked up at him, a small smile forming, but it was more melancholy if anything. "Sorry... It's just, I'm happy. The sun was shining in District Eleven. The sun still shines there... But the people live in fear..."

"Mitch, we can't change that, but we can help out to make the best out of the situation," Quinten pointed out, resting his head fin on a cushion on the other seats. "We should get some sleep. Thinking about this now is too much work."

"I guess you're right," I mumbled, looking at Jerome who gave me his warm smile. It was the kind of smile that made you really want to hug him with all of your might. "Jerome... Don't leave..."

"I won't Biggums, I won't," My Bacca sweetly murmured as I felt myself drifting off and off to sleep, and before I knew it, I was in a sea of warmth, in the dreams, peaceful dreams, of my mind... No nightmares... Just warmth, and Jerome's presence.

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**Author's Note:**

**So... I updated... I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Please vote for it, leave a comment in the comment box plz, and see you next update. Although Jerome's guilt was quelled for now, it won't be for long ;)**


	6. (Part 1: The Tour) Quinten's Secret

**Hokeyp, so guys, judging by the title of this chapter, we are going to have some interesting revelations involving Quinten and Jerome... I can say that some people have guessed this secret already, but it should make for a more tense parade as the story continues.**

**LET'S GO FOR 25 VOTES GUYS! I KNOW WE CAN DO IT! **

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**(Part 1: The Tour) Quinten's Secret**

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**Quinten's POV (Oh snap, things are gonna get real)**

I walked across our carriage as the landscape of Panem sped past us, under a shining night sky. The train was silent except for the sounds of snoring coming from Jerome, but I had gotten used to them by now.

Looking outside, the world seemed so carefree, so simple and innocent, especially in comparison to what District 12 was like... So cruel, dark, depressing and saddening. It was like I was moving through different worlds...

My name's Quinten... Quinten Amphi, and I'm a Mudkip Hybrid, chosen to participate in the 67th Annual Hunger Games for District One. I was brought to the Capitol, afraid, alone and terrified... I tried to make my first impressions seem confident, and I did a good job, fooling everybody.

Mitch and Jerome, my two best friends, I met them both in those dreaded halls in the Training Centre. We trained together, ate together at lunch, and we became a normal pack of friends... Mitch was the serious and confident one, while Jerome was the cuddly joker. I was the weak link though...

In the arena, when everybody began to die around me, I kept getting hurt. I was either getting stabbed in the arm, sick with disease, or even killed with a knife. I had to watch as people I had come to know fell around me, including Amelia Jennings, Mitch's District Partner.

I had to sit in absolute agony in a cave, unable to even move, unable to help, being kept down with sickness, while Adrienne, Jerome's old District Partner, was slaughtered by the merciless Hannah Barke. It was a tough blow to me, since Adrienne was only twelve...

And then the final fight. I was killed by Katelina Coralis, my District Partner, and I sunk into the water wrapped around the Cornucopia. And that saved my life... I was gifted with the power to heal wounds with water, and not just my own, although nobody knows that. I managed to get back from the brink of death.

But, because I lived, I was demoted to District Twelve, and I spent the last month at Jerome's house since President Snow refused to give me accommodations in the Victor's Village. I learned a lot about Jerome in those weeks.

I couldn't help but feel a bond though... He'd be there when I let my defences down, when I got scared... I've never been able to let my defences down, and still trust anybody. But Jerome has that quality about him, and it's why I envy Mitch... Being able to cuddle with Jerome... And his soft fur.

I really hate to admit it... But I have a crush on Jerome... He's the most over-protective person ever, and he tried to protect me from the District of Twelve because of my Career background... I've only ever really opened up to him, not a single other person, not even Mitch.

I looked over at the two, sleeping comfortably together and I turned away quickly. I knew I would never have him... Ever. I missed my shot, and if President Snow ever found out, he would have me killed on the spot... But I can't move on, not when I haven't been rejected...

With a sigh, I turned to go back to my bed, laying myself under the covers quickly. In all of these thoughts, I didn't even noticed the tears falling from my face as I buried myself into my pillow. I just wished that he could be mine...

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**Jerome's POV**

I heard movement, and I quickly opened my eyes, noticing Mitch snuggled against my fur. I liked the feeling of him in my fur, safe and secure from Snow and the horrors of Panem.

A figure was standing near the window of the carriage, and I recognized it as Quinten. What was he doing up so late? Was he unable to sleep or something? Was there something wrong? Was he scared?

I froze up at the last thought. Quinten scared is a bad thing. If his mental defences are that low, then we would have a very emotional Quinten the day after. I wanted to go over there, to calm him down, knowing he had worked himself up over something, but I just couldn't move, Mitch keeping me on our bed.

I saw Quinten look at us for a few moments, but he couldn't see I was awake, since he didn't say anything. I had to wonder though, why did he look at us? Was something about me and Mitch bothering him?

When I watched Quinten walk back to his bed, I noticed small tears dropping from his eyes, but he didn't seem to notice them. "Quinten..." I whispered, not letting him hear me. I watched as he buried his head into his pillow, and I decided to get up myself, no longer feeling sleepy or tired.

Carefully, I moved Mitch's body to the side, letting him bury himself in the covers of the bed, while I picked myself up and walked over to the window. For some reason, I kept thinking about Quinten's actions in District Twelve. He was always trying to help, even hunting with me in the woods, at least, until the District started hating on him.

That was one of the first times where I saw his mental barriers break down, and it was then when he told me some deep emotional stuff. I remembered the event well...

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_"FISH! GO BACK TO YOUR DISTRICT!" A young boy shouted._

_"Keep away from us you creep!" A man shouted, moving his family away from Quinten, who was running towards the Victor's Village._

_"QUINTEN! WAIT!?" I called out, trying to catch up with him. Why had he just bolted. He looked so different when he had ran... One moment we were in the market, and the next he was gone, running._

_I rushed into the Village, seeing one of the abandoned houses opened up. I quickly jumped over the small wooden gate, leaped up the steps, and rushed inside, only to see my Mudkipian friend curled up in the corner of the Living Room of the house._

_"My god, Quinten..." I whispered... "What's wrong?"_

_I approached the Mudkip cautiously, before quickly putting my hand on his shoulder. I could hear his sobs, and his shaking form was no help either._

_"Quinten... Please, talk to me," I whispered, sitting down next to the Mudkip. I didn't expect him to grab me and start bawling into my fur. "Waaa! Quinten, what's wrong, buddy?"_

_"I-I-I c-c-can't do this anymore!" He cried out, and I could feel tears dripping down my fur, Quinten's tears. "I can't keep living a lie!"_

_"What do you mean Quinten?" I asked seriously. I realized that something was seriously wrong, and chances were, he'd need somebody to talk to._

_"I'm not who you think I am! I'm not confident, or snarky, or good with jokes... I'm scared, Jerome!" He bawled. "I'm terrified... I've been putting up my defenses for so long, but I can't anymore... It's too much..."_

_"Quinten..."_

_"I'm depressed... I've been alone for so long..."_

_"Your famil-"_

_"Never met them," He interrupted, finally beginning to calm down. "Taken away at birth... Left on my own."_

_"I never knew."_

_"I try to hide it," The Mudkip whispered, looking up into my eyes, his, red and puffy from crying. "But I miss them, even though I never met them..."_

_I paused for a moment... "I never saw my parents either," I whispered, looking straight into his eyes as I said this, and I watched them widen. "Taken when I was only a one year old boy. I can't remember them."_

_Quinten and I were silent for those few moments... "Jerome, what's gonna happen to us? To Mitch? To everyone?" _

_"I don't know... But you know what, we won;t let anything bad happen to each other."_

_"We look out for each other," Quinten mumbled._

_"Like a family," I whispered, Quinten looking at me with wide eyes, my words dawning in his mind. _

_"A family..." He whispered, pulling me close to him, and I let him rest his head on my shoulder. We sat there for a long time, just mourning, relaxing, calming ourselves to face the outside world once more_

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"Quinten..." I mumbled, watching as the landscape turned barren. We were approaching the next District. I knew we would do our speech in the morning, so I quickly moved back to my bed, and then fell asleep, clutching Mitch tightly, hoping our little family would stay safe.

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**And so, a chapter without Mitch's dialogue or POV. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Quinten's personality and past, as well as some insight into Jerome's past.**

**And how will Quinten's crush affect Mitch and Jerome ;) Find out in another update, at another time XD**


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